To her utter astonishment, after a lapse of less than half an hour she
saw an empty carriage draw up at Mr. Bygrave's door. Luggage was brought
out and packed on the vehicle. Miss Bygrave appeared, and took her seat
in it. She was followed into the carriage by a lady of great size
and stature, whom the housekeeper conjectured to be Mrs. Bygrave. The
servant came next, and stood waiting on the path. The last person to
appear was Mr. Bygrave. He locked the house door, and took the key
away with him to a cottage near at hand, which was the residence of the
landlord of North Shingles. On his return, he nodded to the servant, who
walked away by herself toward the humbler quarter of the little town,
and joined the ladies in the carriage. The coachman mounted the box, and
the vehicle disappeared.
Mrs. Lecount laid down the opera-glass, through which she had been
closely investigating these proceedings, with a feeling of helpless
perplexity which she was almost ashamed to acknowledge to herself.
The secret of Mr. Bygrave's object in suddenly emptying his house at
Aldborough of every living creature in it was an impenetrable mystery to
her.
Submitting herself to circumstances with a ready resignation which
Captain Wragge had not shown, on his side, in a similar situation, Mrs.
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